People have plenty of reasons to put Hot Lake Springs Resort (formerly known as The Lodge at Hot Lake Springs) on their list of favorite places to stay.

Owners Mike and Tamarah Rysavy start the count with 37 — that’s the number of staff who work at the resort to give guests a premium experience.

The storied past of the steaming springs have attracted a variety of investors and clients, including hoteliers, health seekers and providers, and artists.

More than 160 years after the establishment of hospitality at Hot Lake, today’s version is still evolving to fit the needs of the community and travelers, Mike said.

The couple has been operating the RV park next door to the lodge since 2013, finding the La Grande community supportive and open to newcomers. Seven years later, smack at the beginning of a worldwide pandemic, an opportunity to buy the lodge came about.

“We took it over in April 2020,” Mike said with a laugh. “It was great timing.”

Which, actually, it was. The closures of that period allowed Mike and Tamarah to start on necessary repairs and upgrades. By May 2021, they had 15 rooms ready for guests.

Then it was time for the pub and movie theater to open, enhancing the guest experience, even as hard as it is to compete with soaking pools fed by hot springs.

They drew inspiration from the McMenamins chain of historic hotels, breweries, movie theaters and concert venues on the west side of Oregon and Washington.

There’s no true replica of that popular hospitality model elsewhere on this side of the United States, Mike said.

“We wanted something similar but outside McMenamins’ sphere. Even traditional hot springs struggle with providing a real resort experience like McMenamins does,” he said.

He should know — Mike and Tamarah have visited more than 500 hot springs locations so far.

Thus, having a huge, historic building at one of the largest hot springs in the Pacific Northwest just four miles off the interstate and eight miles away from a small city appears to be a winning ticket.

Hot Lake Springs Resort draws customers from as far away as the East Coast, and its allure continues to be touted in media articles, Mike said.

They are well aware that magical water is not enough, however.

“You have to have good food, you have to have a nice space to hang out. This becomes a community center … We want to see this property open for the community to use and enjoy. And it was only going to happen if we did it,” Mike said.

There are plenty of plans in the pipeline to keep things bubbling forward, including summer concerts, more soaking pools, a food cart, cold plunge pool, and a wellness center with sauna, steam room and bath-and-wraps.

General Manager Rachelle Moreno said the renovated hotel rooms and suites have been designed to offer a calm, cheery environment that speaks to relaxation and rejuvenation.

“We strive to make everybody’s stay comfortable. Each room is unique, with this vision of keeping history alive with a bit of a modern touch. We are booked nearly all summer long,” she said.

The lodging amenities add to the wellness environment of the steamy springs, but when it comes to getting an award in the Readers’ Choice lodging category, the credit has to go to the staff, especially the housekeeping department, Mike and Tamarah said.

“With each of our rooms being different, it takes a bit more to get them clean. And we get a lot of compliments from people about just how clean they are,” Mike said.

Getting recognized as 2025’s lodging winner is validating for the incredible lift his team has done in honoring Hot Lake’s past while moving the historic business into the future, he said.

Information

For more information, visit Hot Lake Springs Resort at hotlakelodge.com. Reservations are recommended for holidays — such as Mother’s Day are made eight weeks in advance, and six weeks out for regular weekends.